The following piece was first written for the October 4, 2026 pew sheet at St Augustine’s Anglican Church. I share it here again in the hope that it may continue to encourage and bless.
This Sunday, during our Mandarin (bilingual) service at 11.15am we will have the great joy of celebrating five baptisms. It is a particularly special occasion for me as these are the first baptisms I have had the privilege of conducting since becoming your Minister. It is even more special because two of those being baptised are my own children.
Baptism is at the heart of Christian discipleship. In the New Testament, those who came to faith in Christ are baptised and incorporated into the community of his people. There is, in this sense, no such thing as an unbaptised Christian. Baptism is the public sign that we belong to Christ and have entered into the life of his Church. At the heart of baptism is the wonderful truth of new life in Christ. Paul writes, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead … we too may live a new life" (Rom 6:4). Baptism points us to Christ's death and resurrection and reminds us that, through faith in Christ, we have died to our old life and are called to live a new life with him.
Yet baptism is not the end of the Christian journey. It is the beginning of a life of following Jesus. Those who are baptised are called to continue growing in faith, obeying Christ, learning from his Word, participating in the life of the Church, loving and serving others, and joining in God's mission. Jesus calls us not simply to be baptised, but to become his disciples and follow him throughout our lives.
I am grateful to God for the opportunity to baptise my two children. Guan and I prayerfully chose to wait until Angela and Nathan were old enough to understand the gospel for themselves and make their own confession of faith in Christ. This was a humble and Christ-honouring decision, while recognising that I gladly baptise the young children of Christian parents who seek baptism for them. These five baptisms are a great blessing and cause of celebration. They are also an encouragement to us as a church – an affirmation of our ministry and a hopeful sign for the future. May we rejoice with those being baptised, pray for them, and together seek to live the new life we have been given in Christ.
Let us pray:
Gracious God, through baptism you call us to belong to Christ and to share in his death and resurrection. Thank you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. Strengthen those who are baptised today and help them to grow in faith, hope and love. Remind all of us of our baptismal calling: to die to sin, to live for Christ, and to follow him faithfully each day. By your Holy Spirit, help us to live as your people and to make disciples of all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Photo: Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) – photograph by Deo Vistar, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide.
